Where are sex offenders? Jessica's Law complicates monitoring

Lake Forest resident Merry Axelrod shows her support last year for a law banning registered sex offenders from city parks in the community. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The number of homeless sex offenders has skyrocketed since Jessica’s Law went into effect, and after the recent arrest of two serial killer suspects some experts say the law to protectwomen and children is backfiring.

Unable to live near schools and parks, some registered offenders end up living on the streets, making it difficult for them to find jobs and forcing them into areas where they end up congregating.

Before the residency restrictions brought by Jessica’s Law eight years ago, 88 paroled sex offenders were registered as transient in California. Within five years, that number spiraled to 1,986.

That means that one-third of sex parolees are transient, making them difficult to track even with GPS monitoring bracelets.

“It’s outrageously high. It’s one of our biggest gaps in public safety ,” said Tom Tobin, vice chairman of the California Sex Offender Management Board. “There’s not a shred of research that supports residence restrictions.

“We do things that are not so wise, because we want to do something.”

Charged with raping and murdering four women, Steven Gordon and Franc Cano lived in a beat-up white Toyota 4Runner parked in an industrial area of Anaheim – one of the few places open for them to live.

Jessica’s Law requires paroled sex offenders to live at least 2,000 feet – more than one-third of a mile away from schools and parks.

In many Orange County cities, particularly in high density areas where there are more schools such as Santa Ana and Huntington Beach, the areas where paroled offenders can live are especially limited.

TRACKING DIFFICULT

State officials who oversee California’s sex offender population have urged lawmakers to reconsider the restrictions, citing a steep rise in homelessness.

Meanwhile, law-and-order advocates have pushed for even more “predator free zones,” such as the effort by Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas to ban all registered sex offenders from parks – a campaign that was recently shot down by the courts.

Rosanne Froeberg, assistant district attorney for the office’s sexual assault unit, said the homeless population shouldn’t be a problem if they follow the conditions of their release, such as regularly checking in with police. She supported maintaining residency restrictions.

“My concern is public safety and the safety of children and other victims. That’s a bigger concern than whether a sex offender released from prison has the same pillow to lay his head on every night,” Froeberg said.

Local police officials say monitoring homeless sex offenders is more difficult and requires additional resources. While offenders with housing must register with police annually, transients must register every 30 days.

Ed Harrison, a spokesman for the Orange County Probation Department, said housing is one criteria used to evaluate how much supervision a person requires. Those without stable shelter are generally considered a greater risk.

“We’re worried about homelessness for any of our offenders,” Harrison said. “It’s a significant impediment for having a pro-social lifestyle.”

The population also presents unique challenges. Sex offenders on probation or parole typically wear GPS tracking devices, which must be charged twice daily. Some homeless offenders charge at shelters, armories or police stations.

Sgt. Peter Hahn, with the Los Angeles County sheriff’s special victim’s unit, said residency restrictions have indeed backfired.

“Basically, it’s hard to keep track (of the homeless), so they could be out doing things they’re not supposed to,” Hahn said.

In the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s jurisdiction, there are 3,500 registered sex offenders, and 163 of them are transient.

Lake Forest resident Merry Axelrod shows her support last year for a law banning registered sex offenders from city parks in the community. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Last week, the courts handed Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas a defeat by sinking a local ordinance designed to ban sex offenders from parks. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
In this file photo from 2013, parole agents George Meza , left, and Jessica Latumeten speak to a parolee living in an Anaheim apartment as part of "Operation Boo," a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation operation held on Halloween night to conduct compliance checks on known sex offenders to make sure they're staying away from trick-or-treaters and otherwise following their special orders. LEONARD ORTIZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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